In A Tree
by blaahblaah
Summary: R&R 'But now it seems like it was the dumbest thing to do. I was stupid.' I nodded, feeling, oddly enough, like I was going to cry. 'I guess it was…' I muttered past the lump in my throat.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.**

I sat watching the sun rise, my wings fanned out and ready for the warm sun that would come in a few minutes. In case you're wondering, I'm Fang. I'm fifteen and only second in line to the flock's leadership.

The flock is what we call our group of mutated kids. There are five of us. Angel, who's seven, The Gasman, who's nine, Nudge, who's twelve, Iggy, almost fifteen, me, who _is_ fifteen, and Max. She's the oldest.

Angel can read minds, breathe under water, and bend others to do her will. Gasman-called that for a reason. He has a whacked up digestive system, so be careful around him. He's Angel's older brother. They are the only truly blood related siblings, but we all think of ourselves as a family. Nudge…the talkative one. She has a huge appetite, and just recently found out she had the ability to know what the previous person to touch any object was doing. Iggy is blind. When he was little, the white coats at _School_ tried something to enhance his eyes but something went wrong. Even though he's blind, he is great with explosives and all the things that basically kill people.

I'm Fang, and I love flying. It's probably the only thing I love more than anything else. I'm quiet, but I can't help it. It's who I am. Max is the oldest, the bossiest, and one tough cookie. Every once in a while, she has violent attacks in her head, and an extremely annoying voice comes with them, or so she told me once.

The sound of steps made me look up and I was face-to-face with Max.

Suddenly I was nervous, and my stomach felt like it was full of hundreds of bugs. "Good morning." She groaned, and collapsed next to me and looked at me. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep?" She asked when I grumbled about how early it was. "You could probably use it."

I shook my head and glared at her, trying to fight down my sudden nervousness.. "I'm just sore."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

We all hate it when she has attacks in the middle of the night, especially me, because I sleep next to her.

I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. "What about you?"

She stood up, and walked away, disregarding my question. As I watched her kick everyone awake, except Angel and Gassy, a dull ache started in my chest, not that big, but still there.

Max…kissed me once. Not like a sister-brother kiss, but a really real one. It was right after Ari almost killed me. Max seemed really embarrassed afterwards, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy it. You see…I've had a small crush on Max ever since Jeb disappeared. I don't know why, but suddenly I just wanted to kiss her.

I didn't say anything about it, though I wanted to…ever since she kissed me. If I could get her alone, I'd say "Max, remember when you kissed me?"

And she'd blush all cute and respond in a whisper. "Yeah…"

I would smile nicely, then put my hands on her should and lean in ever so slightly…and say "Well I liked it." Then I'd kiss her.

But really, the more I thought about it, the more I realised I could be hurt, rejected, torn apart.

But on happier thoughts...well, not really. What's so great about love, like...whatever you want to call it? I mean, what if she didn't like me that way? What if she only loved me as a brother? Or worse…what if she loved Iggy!

I was just about to began hyperventilating, when someone pulled me up. "Max? What…?" I asked, inwardly screaming with happiness that she touched me.

My god. What is wrong with me?

She looked at me with those big, beautiful dark eyes. "Do you wanna go flying with me?"

"Sure!" I said too quickly, and almost blushed when she looked at me oddly.

"Great." She smiled and started walking towards a clearing a few minutes away.

I followed Max to a clearing, where we spread our wings and flew off together. We flew to the Mountains we slept at a few nights ago, and that's where Max signaled to a cave in the side of the mountain, high above the ground.

I dangled my legs over the ledge, while Max landed and joined me. I watched her out of the corner of my eye. Her hair was so pretty. The pink highlights glowed in the sun, and I just wanted to run my hands through the locks.

She was looking hesitant about something, but obviously the non-hesitant side won, and she leaned against me.

My heart's rate went up about a hundred beats.

She slipped one of her hands in mine, which resulted in me praying to god for a way to get out of this situation. I was so incredibly scared that I didn't realize she had started talking.

"-and I'm so sorry!" She finished.

"Umm…"

How was I supposed to know what she said?

"Fang?"

I looked down at her. She had her head resting on my shoulder, and I finally grew hot after I realized how close our faces were to each other's. "Yeah?" I said calmly, while trying to stop the storm within.

"I'm scared."

I was, to say the least, surprise. "Of what?"

"I don't know if I do have parents. What if I really was born out of the tube? And you…you all have parents. I don't want to be alone."

I wrapped my free arm around her, and gently rubbed her arm. "If we can't find your parents…" I thought silently. What would we do about her? Then it hit me. "You can stay with me."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

-

"Where did Max and Fang go?" Nudge asked absentmindedly.

"Max said they were going flying-" Angel started.

"Four hours ago." Iggy pointed out.

"They're probably flying in the Mountains."

Nudge looked at Gassy oddly. "What Mountains?"

Gassy gaped. "Don't you pay attention to where we go?" She frowned and he narrowed his eyes. "We stopped there for the night just about three days ago!"

"I don't remember any Mountains." She persisted.

"Fine! Do you want me to show them to you?"

"Sure!" Nudge jumped up. "We can look for Max and Fang too!"

She ran off into the forest, while Gassy told Iggy where they were going.

Angel looked up from Total, her dog. "Give them their privacy."

Gassy looked at his sister silently for a few moments. She was getting weirder and weirder everyday.

-

"Hey Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you remember when Ari almost killed me, and what you did afterwards?"

"...Yes" She silently slid away.

"Well," I opened my mouth to say the words I had wanted to say for a long time, but instead I said, "Why did you do it?"

She looked down at her hands, then back up at me because I was holding them. "Because…I though it was the right thing to do…at the time."

"Oh…"

A big dull ache that hurt more than the last, settled in my chest and I frowned angrily at myself.

"But now it seems like it was the dumbest thing to do. I was stupid."

I nodded, feeling, oddly enough, like I was going to cry. "I guess it was…" I muttered past the lump in my throat.

"What time is it?" Max asked suddenly.

"Around…noon." I choked out.

Max touched my shoulder, making me want to flinch away. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I tried, more confidently.

She looked at the forest. "I hope erasers don't come."

I nodded, watching a bird as it flew by.

"Well, I guess…" Max began, but I cut her off.

"Max, I have to tell you something."

"What?"

"I…"

Max collapsed, grasping her head in agony. I frowned and pulled her into my arms, calmly rubbing her back. She eventually relaxed in my arms, and pulled back. She gave me a weak smile. "Thanks."

"No problem." I smiled. "Are you ok?"

She mumbled something under her breath, but I didn't catch it.

I moved my face closer to hers, willingly, but unwillingly at the same time. She moved hers closer too, and when our lips were centimeters apart-

"MAX! FANG! WHERE ARE YOU?"

I closed my eyes, and fell back. Max sat against the wall opposite me, and watched me with unwavering eyes. "We're in here Nudge!" She yelled, without moving from the gaze.

"Well, what are you waiting for? I'M HUNGRY!"

Nudge's face popped into view. "Well? Come on! Let's go back and get food!"

I stood up and pointedly looked away from Max. "Let's go."

-

I sat on a large rock, watching the full moon blankly. I don't know what happened to me, but I suddenly didn't care if Max didn't like me. But that didn't stop the hurt from coming at me in full, uncaring blasts.

"What's happening to me?" I murmured.

I lay back on the rock and star-gazed angrily. I needed to fly.

I stood up, and leaped for the sky, and all I wanted was to be free of these feelings, and Max's face.

But when I found the sky, I was free from nothing. Nothing but the ground.

I wasn't free…no. I was trapped. Flying wasn't helping. It hurt…to fly. My wings felt like lead, and my chest was hurting so much that it hurt to breath. Tears blurred my vision, and a huge lump formed in my throat.

What was wrong with me? All the control I had built up inside of me, it was as if they had picked the lock keeping them inside.

So…I let them go.

As the hot tears flew down my face, Max's words echoed around me, cruelly. _But now it seems like it was the dumbest thing to do. I was stupid._

I landed in a tree, and desperately hugged a branch while melancholy tremors filled my body.

Then, I suddenly realized what I was feeling. I looked at the moon, and screamed at the top of my lungs, "I guess this is what I get for falling in love!"

"Fang...?"

I closed my eyes impatiently, and turned so I could look at Max, who had come from the tree beside me. I inclined my head to show her I was listening.

"What were you doing?"

I narrowed my eyes, and continued walking towards the camp. "Flying,"

"Wait Fang,"

I stopped and waited. She sighed and closed her eyes. "What were you going to tell me…in the cave?"

"Does it matter?" I hissed angrily.

She grabbed my arms and gave me a little shake. "Yes!" She looked so desperate for the information.

"No, it doesn't." I shook her off, and walked to the camp sourly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered so softly I could barely hear her.

I turned and looked at her, all anger diminished. "I'm not."

-

"Get up Fang."

Max kicked me…hard.

"What was that for?" I demanded.

"What was what for?" Max asked innocently.

I waved her answer away. "Whatever _Leader." _

She glared at me and gave Gassy a little shove. "Let's go."

-

What the hell is Fang's problem? One minute he's being nice to me, the other I'm being totally ignored!

_Remember Max, you have to take care of all of the flock. Talk to him. _

"I think I will."

"Will what?" Angel asked between giggles as Total licked her chin.

"Nothing."

Angel stopped giggling. "You'll be surprised by what it is that's bothering him, Max."

I blinked.

-

I was brooding, sitting on the branch of a tree. It was nighttime again, and the moon was high in the sky.

"I'm sorry Max." I whispered.

"I'm sorry too." I heard someone whisper, and I jumped where I sat.

"Max?"

She climbed the tree and sat across from me, smiling. "Wanna talk about it?"

I nodded. "Yeah...you remember when you kissed me?"

She nodded.

"Why? Why did you do it?"

"I already told you!" She laughed.

"No."

"No…?"

"No. Tell me the real reason you kissed me."

"The real reason...?"

"Yes."

She looked at the ground, and her cheeks lit up. "I guess…I like you."

She likes me!

"I should go." Max swung her legs over the tree branch and was about to jump off the branch when I reached out my arm, and snagged her wrist. "Wait."

She turned to look at me. I grimaced sadly when I saw a tear roll down her cheek. "What Fang?" She choked.

"I guess I should tell you what I was going to before…in the cave."

She frowned, and looked in deep thought. Then she smiled. "Alright."

"Well…" I began nervously. "I-I love you."

There. I said it.

"Well…I love you too."

I smiled inwardly to myself.

"But I love Iggy…and Gassy, Angel, and Nudge too."

I frowned, trying not to yell at her, or scream that I loved her differently. Instead, I smiled and looked into her eyes. "No…I mean I love you, love you."

And then, I scooted forward, and kissed her.

I was the happiest person alive when she kissed back.


End file.
